Happy New Year!

"Whatever life throws at us, 

our individual responses will be 

all the stronger 

for working together

 and sharing the load." 

-Quote by Queen Elizabeth II

How true is this. 

Let us, in this brand new year, 

look forward 

to working together in our communities,

 our work places, 

and especially in our own homes.

This is a New Year:

 2016! 

New opportunities are coming for us. 

Let us go for them with our minds saying, 

'We can make it work.' 

If in 2015, things didn't work out, 

like we expected,

 let us all say, 

with God's help, 

and a little more effort: 

'Things will work out for us in 2016".

My grandfather told me:

"Be positive, 

strong,

and have a mind to work."

This, I believe, will be a good and prosperous year for us all.

 Remember to put God first by attending church on Sunday. 

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Loving in Your Heart

'The more anger towards the past you carry in your heart,
 the less capable you are of loving in the present.'

Quote by Barbara De Angelis (King Features Syndicate.)

What a very serious and provoking saying.

The Bible says in Proverbs Chapter 3 verse 7:

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. 

Matthew 15:19 says:

 For out of the heart proceed 
evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 

These are things that defile a man; making him less capable of loving in the present. 

Proverbs 4:23 says, quoted by Jesus, 

 "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.

And Matthew 12:34 says:

 For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

    First, before all this, we must believe that God's word tells us: 

"If ye declare with your mouth Jesus is Lord, 

and Believe in your heart that God raised him (Jesus) from the dead, 

you will be saved. 

(Romans 10:9)

    Listen to Proverbs Chaper 19 verse 11: 

The discretion of a man defereth his anger. 

    Out of the heart flows all the issues of life. 

After giving our lives to the Lord Jesus, 

we now can allow God to help us learn how to master our anger.

It's letting our discretion defer our anger. 

Now think of it - that's God's way.

Like a Palm Tree

The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree. 

Psalm 92:12

He shall grow like a tree in Lebanon.

They say a palm tree grows from the inside out. 

The bible says: 

Out of the belly (or out of the heart) 

shall flow rivers of living water. 

-John 7:38

Out of the heart or inside out, shall flow our relationship with God. 

An extraordinary one is my desire. 

Why compromise with mediocrity 

when God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit 

were brought together 

to make God personal to you and me? 

A palm tree can be well over sixty feet high 

with branches spreading out a great distance. 

We too can grow in God by believing and reporting God's Word in our hearts. 

Matthew 19:26 says: With God all things are possible to him that believes.

I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me. - Philippians 13.  

Our spiritual branches will be spread out. 

We will grow tall and our roots will be strong like a palm tree.

God definitely does work through the trials in our lives.

 He's slowly shaping me and my family into tree lights for His Glory. Praise God!

By renewing our minds on the inside He is teaching many people on the outside.

Let us therefore keep renewing our minds

 so we can help many more people that will grow in the Lord.

In a Day that is Drizzly

We can see beauty in a day that is drizzly again;

 like a lot of circumstances, we have to make an effort to see the beauty.

There is truly beauty in a day that is drizzly.

You may say, I cannot see the beauty. 

But God has said to take the good with the bad. 

We know it won't last. Tomorrow will come with its sunshine, laughter, and peace.

Don't allow the drizzle to cramp your day.

It may not be what you would like, but God can turn it around for the good.

Look around, and make someone's life a blessing, 

cheer them up, it's amazing what it will do.

In the spiritual, we also need the spiritual rain. 

 There are times to stop and allow God to pour out; 

not always his blessings; 

but we need to be disciplined as well, 

so we can see beauty in the way God is disciplining us.

Let us not be in a hurry to see His beauty. 

There was beauty in the way God dealt with Job.

Job didn't see it all at first, but kept on being himself. 

We can actually say in the end, after much distress, Job came out and saw

 the beauty in the drizzle of the rain.

Let's all be encouraged today and let God show us the drizzle in the rain.

Stay Strong

When Joshua was by Jericho, it tells us in Joshua 5:13-15, 

 that he didn't know he would encounter such a sight. 

What a surprise he received that day --- 

a man with a drawn sword. 

Would he do like he did -- talk to him?

Now Joshua was no ordinary person, he knew he could succeed

 with God by his side and a great deal of persistence.

As we read on, we find Joshua talking and like a reporter, taking down notes -

1. Humility was big for Joshua, and like you and I, should be big in our lives.

2. He stopped and worshiped God.

3. He asked God (Commander of Army) what he should do.

This was no small matter for Joshua.

 Thank God for men like Joshua. 

Let's be more like him!

The bible says in the Old Testament that the victory was their's. 

Years ago, I didn't realize what the Commander of the Lord's Army meant

 when he said "NO" to the question, 

Are you for us or are you against us?

Now, I think he meant it's up to you, make up your own mind.

First, you and I need to know God is for us, not against us.

No matter what we have said done, 

God is always for us!

Let's keep remembering I'm always for you even in the most trying and difficult situations.

We may wonder why God was using a drawn sword?

Was it to draw Joshua's mind to take his attention off himself 

and on to the battle that was to be?

Yes, I think so.

I read in the Winnipeg Free Press by Og Mandino -

Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough. 

What do you think of that?

I think it is very good.

Let's stay strong.  

Light in Darkness

Light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehend it not. 

John 1:5

Think of all the darkness or any evil force that has come against us.

It is only as we put our faith and trust in Him, letting God's light shine though us, 

that we are able to defeat the darkness or evil force that has come against us. 

The bible says in Ephesians 3:18

that we may be able to comprehend with all the saints 

what is the breadth and length and depth and height of the
 love of Christ,

and to know the love of Christ.

The love of Christ has no length, no depth, and no height, and no breadth 

that his light cannot shine though.

And that same light that shines in darkness can shine bright 

in every area of our lives,
putting out that evil force of darkness.

The early church in the book of Acts tells us 

how these twelve disciples let God's love flow through them. 

Each of them had a great testimony of this love.

Can we do the same in this Twenty-First Century? 

The answer  --- Are we willing to pay the price, go the second mile?

God is encouraging us today to let our light shine bright. 

All these forces of darkness cannot stop God from His work in our lives. 

Let this darkness not stop us from continuing the desire to fulfill

 the purpose for which we were created. 

Mother's Day Love

One of my old hymns that I loved playing and singing was,

 "What a friend we have in Jesus."

The hymn says;

 With all our grief and sins to bear.

 What a privilege to carry everything to the Lord in prayer. 

What a great truth of being able to carry everything to God in prayer. 

Now, as I look back over the many years of singing

 and believing the words of the hymn,

 I am so very grateful. 

How I have focussed many times on Him,

 taking my attention off myself, 

and placing it on the one who sacrificed 

His great love for me.

This has enriched my life many times.

Take courage.

 He will do the same for you. 

Just give him your time, 

and see the many ways 

He will make your life such a blessing, 

that you and your children and grandchildren

 will benefit from seeing a big change in you.

I believe this change in you and in your family 

will develop into an expereince so wonderful 

you will all have a 

very happy Mother's Day.

Don't forget to thank your mother

 for all the many wonderful things she has done over the year.

2 Timothy one verse five tells us that 

Timothy had a godly mother and a wonderful grandmother. 

They showed much love toward Timothy,

and it showed in his life. 

Let's be thankful for our prayer warriors of the faith.

Have a Happy Mother's Day!